Chapter 52 – Abandoned City

The heavy iron door of the makeshift prison cell creaked open, its rusty hinges protesting the movement. 

The senior student who stood guard there eyed Takai and then let him in. 

Professor Iakopo himself had given the boy permission for this visit. 

Takai stepped into the dimly lit room, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the gloom. 

The cell was sparse, containing only a simple cot and a small table. 

The lone window was barred, allowing thin slivers of moonlight to filter through.

In the corner, sitting on the edge of the cot with her back against the wall, was Lilinoe. 

Her wrists were still bound by the mana-draining cuffs, but her posture remained straight as an arrow. 

She turned her head slightly as Takai entered, her eyes narrowing as she recognized him.

Takai's heart raced as he faced the girl who had nearly killed him just hours before. 

The memory of her blade piercing his flesh was still fresh, the phantom pain causing him to wince involuntarily. 

He took a deep breath, steadying himself before speaking.

"I have questions," Takai said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I need answers.”

Lilinoe's lips curved into a mocking smile. 

"Oh? The weakling needs answers? How amusing." 

Her voice dripped with disdain, each word carefully chosen to wound.

Takai clenched his fists, fighting to maintain his composure. 

"Why did you attack me? What have I ever done to you?"

Lilinoe leaned forward, her eyes glinting in the dim light. 

"Your very existence is an insult to our father's legacy. You're a reminder of his weakness, a stain on the Sword Demon's reputation."

Her words stung, but Takai pressed on. 

"You keep talking about our father. How do I know you're really his daughter? Where have you been all this time?"

A harsh laugh escaped Lilinoe's lips. 

"Where have I been? Training. Growing stronger. Becoming worthy of the Sword Demon's heritage. While you've been playing at being a Water Rider, I've been honing my skills in ways you couldn't even imagine."

Takai's tried to reconcile this new information with everything he thought he knew about his family. 

"But why?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly. "Why would our father train you and abandon me and my mother?"

For the first time since he entered the cell, Lilinoe's expression changed. 

The mocking smile faded, replaced by a look of cold seriousness. 

She stood up slowly, moving closer to Takai until they were face to face.

"You want to know why Father abandoned you and your mother?" Lilinoe's voice was low, almost a whisper. "It's simple, really. Father only recognizes strength. You and your mother are weak."

The words hit Takai like a physical blow. 

He stumbled back, his back pressing against the cold stone wall. 

"That's... that's not true," he mumbled, more to himself than to Lilinoe. “That’s insane.”

“Insane? What else do you think father cares about? What else do you think this entire archipelago cares about, little Takai? Strength. It's all about strength.”

“Dad didn't even see me grow up. I wasn't even five when he left. How did he even know that I was weak? This makes no sense,” Takai rebutted. 

“You really know nothing, little brother. Literally, you know what I said, shaking her head. You think that talent can only be assessed by a test when you're sixteen? You really know nothing about the deep. You really know nothing about what the great families are capable of. What their real strength is. You have seen nothing of this world.”

Lilinoe pressed her advantage, her words cutting deep. 

"Face it, little brother. You're nothing but a disappointment. A failed experiment. Father saw your weakness and cut his losses. He had me months before he had you, and then molded me into the warrior he always wanted."

Takai's memories of his childhood flashed before his eyes. 

It all began to make a terrible kind of sense.

“We're the same age?" Takai asked, incredulous.

“Dad cheated on Mom?” 

Lilinoe didn’t even answer to that. 

She just said, “Strength is everything, little brother. Dad knew it. He needed a bloodline. He needed an heir.” 

"No," Takai said, his voice growing stronger. "You're wrong. Strength isn't everything. There's more to being a Water Rider, to being a good person, than just power."

Lilinoe scoffed, turning away from him. 

"Keep telling yourself that, weakling. But remember this: in the real world, only the strong survive. And you? You're nothing but prey."

Takai opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. 

He turned and stumbled out of the cell. 

As he exited the building, he leaned against its wall, trying to process everything he had just heard.

However, the echo of Lilinoe's words haunted him.

“Weak.”

***

Meanwhile, on the other side of Placid City, Talia and Keanu walked side by side down a desolate street. 

The abandoned buildings loomed over them, their empty windows staring down like hollow eyes. 

The occasional gust of wind whistled through the deserted alleys, carrying with it the faint scent of salt and decay.

Talia's glaive was strapped to her back. 

Keanu's daggers were sheathed at his sides, but his hands never strayed far from them. 

Both students remained alert.

"It's hard to believe this place was once an actual city," Talia remarked, her eyes scanning the dilapidated structures around them. Many of the buildings showed signs of extensive damage – crumbling walls, collapsed roofs, and debris scattered across what were once well-maintained streets.

Keanu nodded in agreement. 

"Yeah, it's like walking through a ghost town. I wonder what exactly happened here to leave it in such a state."

As they turned a corner, they came across the skeletal remains of what might have once been a grand inn. 

The facade was pockmarked with holes, and half of the building had completely caved in on itself. 

Nature had begun to reclaim the ruins, with vines creeping up the walls and small trees sprouting from cracks in the pavement.

"Look at that," Talia said, pointing to a faded sign hanging precariously above the hotel's entrance. "The Placid Palms Inn.."

Keanu squinted at the sign. 

"Must have been."

They continued their walk in companionable silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. 

The quiet was occasionally broken by the distant cry of a seabird or the crunch of debris under their feet.

After a few minutes, Talia turned to Keanu. 

"By the way, I wanted to thank you for watching my back during the battle. When I was healing Takai and the others."

Keanu's face broke into a warm smile. "No need to thank me. Professor Iakopo was there and I’m sure he would have intervened if he had to. Besides, your healing skills were incredible. I've never seen anything like it."

Talia felt a flush of pride at his words, but quickly tamped it down. 

"I'm just glad I could help. I don’t really think much of the healing part of my skill."

“Well, you should,” the boy replied of a smile. 

Then, a thoughtful expression crossed Keanu's face. 

"Speaking of which, what are your goals, Talia? Why did you come to the Academy?"

Talia's eyes lit up."I'm going to become the next Hākai Pō," she declared without hesitation. "I'll surpass even my mother's legacy."

Keanu's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "That's... quite the ambition. But wait, doesn't becoming the Hākai Pō involve slaying the Kraken? How do you know it's still alive?"

Talia's expression turned enigmatic. 

"Let's just say I have my reasons for believing the Kraken is still out there."

Keanu looked like he wanted to press the issue, but instead changed the subject. 

"You know, I'd really like to get to know the Moana sisters better. They seem interesting."

"They are," Talia agreed. "Lilo and Nami are great."

A flicker of surprise crossed Keanu's face, but he quickly masked it. 

"Really? That's...  good to hear. Nobles are not usually…"

Before Talia could ask about his reaction, they found themselves in front of a small, well-maintained building. 

A hand-painted sign above the door read "Lana's General Store."

"This is the place Professor Iakopo stopped at before, no?" Talia said. "Should we check it out?"

Keanu nodded, and they approached the store. 

As they pushed open the door, a small bell chimed, announcing their arrival.

The interior of the store was in contrast to the desolation outside. 

There were many shelves lining the walls, stocked with a variety of goods – from canned foods to basic household items. 

The air was filled with the mingled scents of herbs, spices, and the unmistakable mustiness of old books.

Behind the counter stood a woman in her thirties with hair tied back in a neat bun. 

Her face lit up as she saw the two students enter.

"Well, hello there!" she exclaimed, her voice warm and welcoming. "You must be some of the Water Rider students. I'm Lana. Welcome to my humble shop."

Talia and Keanu introduced themselves, and Lana's smile grew even wider.

"Oh, it's wonderful to meet you both. You must be hungry after all the excitement. Here, let me fix you something to eat."

Before they could protest, Lana had bustled into a back room. She returned moments later with a tray laden with sandwiches and two glasses of what looked like freshly squeezed juice.

"It's not much," Lana said apologetically, "but it's the least I can do for our brave defenders."

Talia and Keanu accepted the food gratefully, realizing just how famished they were. 

As they ate, Lana peppered them with questions about their journey and their training at the Academy.

"So, how are you finding Placid City?" Lana asked, her tone light but her eyes watchful.

"It's... not what we expected," Talia admitted between bites. "What happened here? Why is so much of the city abandoned?"

A shadow seemed to pass over Lana's face, but it was gone so quickly Talia wasn't sure if she had imagined it. 

"Oh, you know how it is with small cities," Lana said, her voice a little too cheerful. "People move away, looking for better opportunities. But we who remain, we're resilient. We make do."

Talia nodded, not entirely convinced by the explanation. 

She decided to probe a little further. 

"How do you know Professor Iakopo? He seemed familiar with you when we arrived."

The change in Lana's demeanor was immediate and unmistakable.

The cheerful shopkeeper persona fell away, replaced by a wary, almost haunted look. 

"Oh, well, Professor Iakopo... he's been involved with our city for a long time. He's... he's done a lot for us."

Talia opened her mouth to ask for more details, but before she could, the shop's door burst open. 

Mayor Boro rushed in, his round face flushed and his breath coming in short gasps.

"Lana!" he exclaimed, then seemed to notice Talia and Keanu for the first time. 

His eyes widened in what looked suspiciously like panic. 

"Oh, I see we have visitors. How wonderful. Lana, why don't you get back to your regular duties? I'm sure these young Water Riders have plenty to do."

Without waiting for a response, Mayor Boro began ushering Talia and Keanu towards the door. 

"Thank you for your service, truly. But I'm sure Professor Iakopo is looking for you. Best not to keep him waiting, eh?"